


An alternate universe in 19 scenes: Days of Futures Past edition

by mayachain



Series: 19-Scenes-AU [6]
Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Communication, F/M, Families of Choice, Fear of Death, Friendship/Love, Gen, M/M, Mutant Powers, Politics, Protectiveness, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel, dead people staying dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-12
Updated: 2016-05-12
Packaged: 2018-06-07 23:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6830317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayachain/pseuds/mayachain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an alternate timeline, one of Stryker's soldiers kidnapped St John during the X2-raid. The family his little group of imprisoned x-kids made impacts the events of "Days of Futures Past" accordingly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An alternate universe in 19 scenes: Days of Futures Past edition

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing this on an off since DoFP came out and... nearly made it before the release of the new movie?

** An alternate universe in 19 scenes: Days of Futures Past edition **

**Scene 01: Scott**

The first time you fought a sentinel in the Danger Room it was all still highly hypothetical. You know from Hank and his D.C. contacts that even during the height of the Alcatraz crisis activating the prototypes was never a serious consideration. It was only when it became clear that the supposed cure was little more than temporary that mass production was launched. A blink of an eye and they were killing mutants the world over and your students and teammates one by one. 

Sometimes you are glad that Jean is not here to see what the world has become.

 

 **Scene 02: Siryn**

You huddle against Funk inside the cave that is ‘home’ and will be until the Sentinels kill you or you win. You’d hate the humans for what their kind has done if not for Bobby’s useless brother who gave you the warning that let you evacuate the school in time, Sid’s aunt the nurse who sheltered you for a while, Kitty’s parents who bankrupted themselves to help…

…humans who were on your side when it counted and who are all every bit as dead as Hank and Warren and Jimmy and Jones and Sid and Artie and Rogue and John. 

 

 **Scene 03: Erik**

You barely listen as Cyclops warns Logan of young Charles’ depression and the regrets he harbored as a brother, behold instead the children who are all that is left of Charles’ dream – adults, after what they’ve been through.

Their anger, grief, fear, determination, and above all their protectiveness of each other helps you better than any argument with Storm to see how you and Charles were set on your respective paths. It falls to you to predict the length your younger self might go to. 

If Logan cannot get through to young Magneto, everything he tries will be for naught.

 

 **Scene 04: Bobby**

At last, _something_ was the last straw that made Lehnsherr desperate enough to go for Kitty’s plan. Your group has timed how long this place will be secure to the last second. This is your last chance, and so many died for it.

Kurt died bringing you John’s body.

Scott briefly clamps a hand around Logan’s wrist before Blink takes him to Warpath and Storm. You take position as Kitty centers herself and Logan… shimmers. You try and fail to return Jubilee’s bracing smile as you let the cold seep into your mind.

This time there’ll be no going back.

 

 **Scene 05: Alex**

Stryker has been an ass throughout every mission he’s sent you on but you could handle him – you got the work done and you thought you mostly got on.

You make yourself sit still and _not blow up the fucking transport_ and work out what the fuck happened besides you now owing Mystique. This thing she stumbled upon – maybe you should get involved but your men come first.

An hour into the flight you think that _fuck,_ you should at the very least call Hank. When you get access to a phone, however, there is no answer from the mansion. 

 

 **Scene 06: Hank**

You strain to hear Charles and Erik in the powder keg behind you. A minute ago it was all you could do not to crash the plane, wishing you’d built the Blackbird without metals. You’re still trying to wrap your hand around Erik’s Kennedy revelation. 

Inhuman ears catch phrases like ‘students’ and ‘stick-in-the-mud’ and ‘protecting others is all they want to do’. It’s Logan talking now, “ _just like you_ , he asked you to imagine - every person you sacrificed could’ve helped us fight –“

For a moment, you fear the plane will be sent into another tumbling spin. It wobbles.

 

 **Scene 07: Mystique**

Your head is swimming. You’ve almost forgotten how intense Charles can be. A part of you is dumbstruck simply seeing him on his feet.

You’ve come so far. Trask needs to die, but… “We’ve come to save you, Erik and I together.” You don’t miss the way the words make Erik grimace, but then he catches you looking and the expression almost turns into smile. 

He’s not wearing his helmet. That more than anything makes you believe it when the guy with the claws Charles claims is from the future tells you – 

“I saw you die protecting your brother’s students.”

 

 **Scene 08: Logan**

You escape Stryker’s eyes and he looks over at Magneto, the more overt threat in the room. He has no idea who you are. _Fuck, it’s him,_ you think, and everything in you wants to spear him on your claws this very second - 

but –

you have no idea what that would do to the timeline. You drag up the image of his face as you left him to die, young Pyro walking in front of you and little Artie on your arm - _let him go to get them back_ \- and you ignore baby Charles’ startled gaze. You breathe. 

 

 **Scene 09: Funk**

You wish you could be on the front line but you’re too young, always too young, and in any case your ‘suggestions’ do fuck all in a fight against monsters. You shrink further into the uniform they gave you because there wasn’t anything else left, and you hate how it feels against your skin because Sid and Artie will never get to wear one in this timeline. The three of you will never be a team.

You’ve put yourself in Jubilee’s line of sight so she can worry a little less about you. Both of you are watching for fissures.

 

 **Scene 10: Charles**

“If you don’t want him killed, you’d better have another way,” Raven says. 

No. _Mystique_ says.

“Violence and murder won’t help us. But knowledge will,” you reply, and you take a risk when you tap a sly finger against your forehead, when you give a mental nudge that echoes the tapping against her own temple. She did such a stellar job with her infiltration, she could –

There are no words anywhere for how much you’ve missed the way she’s now glaring at you. The look on her face as she receives _that_ sentiment is almost worth collapsing on your porch.

 

 **Scene 11: Magneto**

You find the abominations exactly where Mystique said they’d be. You set down on top of the warehouse unnoticed and listen to the metals underneath your feet. 

For a moment it feels as if the evil of Trask’s intent is seeping through your veins, and you are frozen by the horror of what these things could do.

It’s only metal. _With enough concentration I could control them,_ you think.

You remember Mystique who trusts you, Charles who… The look on Logan’s face as he told you of your future self’s regrets –

The iron screams and you rip the machines apart.

 

 **Scene 12: Storm**

You won’t be letting loose as much as you want, lest the others suffer friendly fire. You hate it, but you hate the sight of Siryn preparing to fight even more.

Scott’ll shoot beams at the abominations and fell trees to block their way when the former have no effect anymore. Magneto, once he arrives, will be every bit as relentless as yourselves.

Electrocution will at least stop some of them; what you’ll really need are sharp winds at the right moment, you’ll just have to hit them with it perfectly. Even if all you can do is buy time.

 

 **Scene 13: Logan**

Real Charles gave you years to sort out your scrambled brain but you are fast losing patience with baby Charles’ clinging to his legs. With Mystique handling him he’s relenting to the idea that the world needs Professor X, but the going is far too slow. 

You never knew exactly how Charles’ telepathy was different from Jean’s. You can only hope that Hank’s drug is out of his system enough for this to work.

Before he can hold off getting his wheelchair from wherever _again_ you grab his hand and watch as - _please_ \- his mind is hurtled forward.

 

 **Scene 14: Siryn**

The roar of the sentinels’ approach is giving you vertigo but you’ve trained in worse conditions. You’ve lost Warpath and your best screams have become useless, but you will not back down, not now.

You try to take strength in your uniform, in the jacket that was once made for Rogue. 

There’s no time to think, all you can do is give everything you’ve got, be as unpredictable with your pitches as you can. You swore by John’s grave you’d fight and you won’t back down but you don’t want to die, you want to live, you want to li –

 

 **Scene 15: Charles**

Your hand trembles as you reach for the Cerebro helmet. You knew all along that Logan had been telling the truth, but that was _Erik_ in your vision, desperate and full of regret and so determined.

Once Hank’s machine has gotten you what you need the plan is to recruit that kid Peter to help Ra-… Mystique break into whatever high security facilities she needs to, send E-… send Magneto and Wolverine and Beast as back-up and monitor the proceedings from here. Wretched future Erik showed you how.

But first you’re gonna fleece Trask for every single secret he has.

 

 **Scene 16: Jubilee**

Your sparks weave themselves into Bobby’s ice and it’s as deadly as John thought ice and fire would be; a fissure appears in the Sentinel’s finish and you dare hope you have a chance.

Magneto is down. You daren’t look toward where you last saw Funk.

The first sentinel doesn’t get up again but the second is already cycling through options, finding the combination to crack your powers.

You step back and press your back tightly against Bobby and he lets go of Kitty at last and presses back. From _somewhere_ you drag up more reserve.

They _will not_ reach–

 

 **Scene 17: Erik**

Logan is making a token attempt to pass as an aide to the young Professor in a wheelchair. Mystique posing as Stryker gets you inside but as soon as she can she ripples out of the disguise and walks beside her brother’s wheelchair, proud.

You’re here because you believe your friend will take it as far as is necessary.

“Mr. President, there is something you need to hear.” She could speak louder but with Charles at her side she doesn’t have to.

“Your predecessor was a mutant,” you say, and watch as all the blood drains out of Nixon’s face.

 

 **Scene 18: Shadowcat**

In the end it happens so fast, your support is gone - _dead, they're all…_ You have to breathe through steam and death and the weight of Jubilee's lifeless arm against your ankle –

With everything you have you refuse to admit you've failed. You’d pray if you didn't need every ounce of strength you have to concentrate.

A fraction of seconds and the sentinel that killed Bobby will be coming for you. Focus. The sentinel that killed Funk is heading for Logan. _Focus._ The instinct is strong to phase out and save yourself but you can't you can't you _can’t_ –

 

 **Scene 19: Mystique/Raven**

Trask is seated to Nixon’s right. There’s no chance you’d miss his heart.

He deserves to die for what he did to Sean, to Angel, to Janos. He deserves it for what he’d planned for Alex, to say nothing of yourself and Erik and Hank and _Charles_. He’ll be an unacceptable threat for as long as he lives. 

He’ll never witness you tear his life’s work apart if he’s dead.

You turn away but keep him in the corner of your eye as you give Nixon the files and say, “This is who allegedly wants to save humankind, Mr. President.”

 

* * *

**Bonus Scene: St John**

You’re suffering through homework for your least favorite college class, resolved to remain _not_ distracted by Bobby’s ankles hooked around yours, stopping every so often to help out Siryn when – 

You blink as Logan hugs Artie out of nowhere, share a startled look with Bobby as the man flings his arms around Kitty. He claps you and then Bobby on your shoulders and then goes for the kids. “Where’s Rogue?” is all he actually says.

He leaves five sets of uncomprehending gazes, Funk, Sid and Siryn trying to fix their ruffled hair as you all stare at his disappearing back.

 

 **Bonus Scene: Hank**

You mark the slightest movement of the President’s hand as she signs the civil rights bill none of her predecessors ever dared pass.

It is the culmination of all you and Charles have worked for. You know Erik and Mystique don’t believe it reaches far enough, guarantees enough, but even Erik cannot refute that a mutant – namely, you – being granted oversight over federal genetics research is progress.

Charles was the one to forgive Magneto’s side for resorting to preventive strikes time and again, far sooner than you yourself could ever manage. You wish he could be here to see this.

 

 **Bonus Scene: Stryker**

It’s by sheer stroke of luck that you find the clawed mutant – disoriented, all by itself, no pack mate in sight. 

You’re a soldier. You know weapons. The unit in ‘Nam were wild cards. It’s why you supported Trask’s bid to ‘retire’ them. You’ve read the witness reports of those who saw this one fight. If all that power could be harnessed, controlled…

The atmosphere has shifted. You can forget about mass studying mutants – for now. 

Presidents come and go. You’ll be damned if you let go of this opportunity to make the world a safer place for little Jason.

 

.


End file.
